Happy World Okapi Day

Today, the 18th October, is the first ever World Okapi Day! The Okapi is an endangered species found in the African rainforest and it is the closest living relative of giraffes.

This species is little known which is why the Okapi Conservation Project started the World Okapi day to promote the conservation and knowledge of this beautiful creature. The species is so elusive in the wild that it wasn’t formally discovered until 1901 and it has become the umbrella species in the Congo. The Okapi is threatened by deforestation as it is reliant on rainforest cover for survival. If the Okapi is protected and thus the forest is protected other species such as elephants, chimpanzees and gorillas will also be protected.

The Okapi Conservation Project list a number of ways that we can all help on their website: